How to Appreciate the Blues
To appreciate the blues, you have to understand where they come from. Learn where the music originated, and why it was so important to a certain period of time.
[edit] Steps
- Get to know a brief history of music. Understanding that the blues period of music came after ragtime can give you a sense of what may have been going on in the world.
- Understand the form. The blues have a tendency to be very sad, and they tell a story of what the singer is going through in life. The form of blues music is very different from popular music today. It follows a strophic from, which means that there is no set verse/chorus.
- Blues uses A A B form and a twelve bars. The most unique musical element of blues music is the use of "Blues Notes," these were notes that were neutral and used a flat on the third, fifth, and seventh note of the melody. This made the music have a sad and upsetting tone to it.
- The usual instrumentation of blues music is a few select instruments as well as vocals.
- Listen to the vocals. The vocals of blues music are not always considered "good." The reason for this is the history of the music style. Blues originated in Southern states, and usually spoke of hard times. All blues songs tell a story. They usually were from rural areas and told of everyday hardships. The most popular topics of blues music were women, cheating, slavery, and economic hardships.
[edit] Tips
- Some things to keep in mind about most blues music:
- It tells a story of a specific time in a persons life.
- It tends to be of hardship, whether it be love, money or work.
- The history behind the music says a lot.
- The time period and setting of the origins is important to history.
- Anyone can write a blues piece if they know the proper form of the music, just write what is on your mind.
